"Well, you said when we started that Allia, Kerri, Dolanna, Azakar, and Dar had to come, so they're going whether they want to or not," he said. "The others, well, I guess it's their decisions as to whether they come or not."

"I'll tell you now, kitten, Sarraya won't be going with you."

"Why not?" he asked in surprise. The idea of going without Sarraya seemed very daunting. The little bug was a pest, but she was one of his closer friends, and she was very dependable when things got serious. It was just all the other times that one had to put up with her.

"How long has she been with you, kitten?"

"About a year or so," he replied after thinking about it a moment.

"And before that, she was off on her own doing work for the katzh-dashi. She's been out on her own for nearly three years, and she's starting to weaken. She's reached the point where she has to return to her colony and be with her own kind, or she'll get weaker and weaker, and eventually die."

Tarrin remembered Sarraya telling him about that, that Faeries didn't live very long if they were separated from their colonies. Being a Druid, Sarraya was capable of living away from her colony for a very long time, but he didn't realize that she'd been out on her own for so long. If that were the case, then he wouldn't let her come with him. Sarraya's health was more important than his need for her to come along.

"I'm going to miss her," he sighed. "And I don't believe I just said that."

"She's annoying, but she's lovable," the Goddess chuckled. "Are you ready, kitten?"

Despite it being cryptic, he seemed to understand her meaning. "Not really, but I don't have much choice," he sighed. "Now that I've experienced a little domestic tranquility, it's going to kill me to leave Jesmind and Jasana behind."

"I wouldn't call a day in the Kael house very tranquil," the Goddess laughed.

"Well, tranquil for us," he said with a sheepish smile. "If we didn't fight every day, I'd think that Jesmind didn't love me anymore."

"They'll be here waiting for you when you come home, kitten," the Goddess assured him. "Think of it as motivation to come back soon."

"I'll have enough of that," he grunted. "Did we do well, Mother?" he asked quietly.

"Kitten, I haven't been this proud of my children since the Blood War," she said emphatically. "You were wonderful. All of you were."

Tarrin flushed slightly at the praise, then she stood up. "It's getting late, and Jesmind is waiting for you," she told him. "She's still nervous about what happened, and Jasana hasn't quite recovered yet. They need you right now, kitten."

"Alright, Mother," he said, standing himself. They stepped over to the fountain, and he dutifully helped her step up to again stand on the water's surface like it was solid ground. She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and the touch of her lips against his skin sent a shockwave through him, scouring away his exhaustion and leaving him feeling refreshed and well. "That was for being my savior today," she smiled down at him, then she kissed him on the other cheek. It too sent a shockwave through him, but didn't change his physical state as the first had. "And that is for being so loyal. And this is for being my friend," she added, then she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. He bowed his head humbly, feeling beyond blessed, feeling like he was the luckiest Were-cat alive. She put a finger under his chin and lifted his face up so she could look into his eyes. "And this is because I love you," she said with a gentle voice, putting her hands on his shoulders, leaning down, and then kissing him ever-so-lightly on the lips. It was a chaste kiss, but the power within her struck him when her lips touched his, and he felt his knees wobble from it. She looked down at him, then laughed lightly. "Even a goddess likes to see that a kiss from her makes a man's knees weak," she teased, then she actually winked at him. "You get yourself home, young man, and think about what I've said. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Y-Yes, Mother," he stammered slightly, putting two fingers to his lips involuntarily. "I'll go now. I love you."

"I love you too, kitten," she smiled, and then the slightly discombobulated Were-cat managed to turn around and meander in the general direction of the entrance to the courtyard. He vanished into the brush without making too much noise, and the physical form of the Goddess looked on for a moment, then smiled knowingly. She too put her fingers to her lips, but for an entirely different reason than he had.

Her kiss had been for more than love. Or, more to the point, it would serve him well in the trials to come. It was a kiss granted in love, but its effect wouldn't be obvious to him for a long time yet. When that time came, she hoped it would be all he needed to succeed.

With that same light smile, the flesh and blood figure stepped back up onto the raised dais at the center of the fountain, and then shimmered. The star-cloth garment disappeared in that flash, and as it faded, it left behind nothing but cold, white stone. A statue of a breathtakingly beautiful woman, her arms held out in welcome and a gentle, loving expression on her face.

Waiting.

Tarrin could have gone to Kerri's apartment, where most of his friends were waiting, but instead he went back to his own. It was empty and dark, except for a light coming from the room in which Jasana slept, and inside sat Camara Tal on a plush chair near the fireplace, reading from a book. Jula lay on Jasana's bed, covers pulled up and resting comfortably. Tarrin felt a little sorry for Jula, that everyone had forgotten about her in all the craziness following the battle. With Triana exhausted and Keritanima in a similar state, everyone had flocked to their bedsides, had checked on them. But nobody had come to see Jula, or to check on Jula. That seemed a bit unfair to him, but he knew that some of his friends still didn't trust her, still wouldn't accept her because of the history between him and her. Jula was truly alone in the Tower, since most of the Sorcerers wouldn't even talk to her. All she'd had was Triana, and then Kimmie. But Kimmie was with the other Were-cats, not sitting by the bed of her friend.

The Amazon nodded to him as he came in, and he sat down by the edge of the bed and brushed the hair back from Jula's face in concern. She didn't looked out of sorts, like she was sleeping naturally. Tarrin looked down at her and searched his feelings for his bond-child. He didn't completely like her, mainly because of what had happened between them. But she was his daughter, and he still felt duty-bound to watch over her and protect her, nurture her and make sure she was going to be a well-adjusted Were-cat before turning her loose. After she was on her own, even he wasn't sure how he'd feel towards her. But for now, she was still a child, still his child, and he'd care for her just as carefully and tenderly as he cared for Jasana.

"Has she moved at all yet?" Tarrin asked softly to the Amazon.

"A bit," she replied. "I checked her condition. She's just sleeping, Tarrin. If you shook her, she'd wake up."

"I don't think I'll do that," he replied. "She's had a very trying day."

"What happened to her? Jesmind's answer was pretty vague."

"The Goddess took command of us directly," he told her. "Used us to strike at Val when he tried to break the Weave. It was too much for Jula."

"She feels different to my magic," Camara Tal said, putting the book on the chair she just vacated and coming over to them.

"That's normal. Jula became a Weavespinner today," he said with not a little pride. "That causes some physical changes."

"She did, did she?" Camara Tal mused. "I thought that Weavespinners were special."

Tarrin sensed the veiled insult there, but he ignored it. "There are two types of Weavespinners, Camara. Ones like me and Jenna and my daughter, and then there are da'shar. Any Sorcerer can become a da'shar, but ones like me are born with it."